Temperance
by madisondanes
Summary: because sometime being calm and collected is really Not in your cards!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bones is not mine.

This is a fan fiction without pretense. A way to exorcise the monstrosity that the past season was, and to put myself into a state of mind for the seventh season without thinking of the many ways with I would have liked to kill Booth.

If you are a Booth fan, and decide to read prepare yourself, because I am going to torture him!

Other ways tell me what you think and if I should continue!

Takes place at the infamous lunch with Hannah and obviously AU from there!

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><p>Temperance Brennan felt everything, all too much for her liking. She was not comfortable in being overwhelmed by feelings. She took no happiness from losing control over herself and her emotions. Love was losing control over personal happiness and trusting your feelings in the fragile hands of another human being. SOMETHING that was not acceptable in the past, and never will be. Almost always those hands would fail and as a result heartache took residence in her metaphoric heart. Asking herself, why should she wake up in the morning, what for, was not an experience that she was interested in repeating...EVER and that was IT.<p>

She always took pride in the fact that she was able to compartmentalize every emotion. Everybody was under the assumption, that she was incapable of feeling anything, but they didn't know anything.

Angela, Cam, Hodgins, even Sweets knew of her what she wanted them to know… and Booth. It was getting pretty clear that with every passing day he knew less and less about her than everybody else. He was a changed man, and maybe, no, surely it was her fault. Sure she could have said yes that night in front of the FBI building, after all she did love him, she was in love with him… but she had panicked and she had said no. It makes her wonder what if. Maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe they would still be together, or maybe he would have broken her heart, and the ending result would be the same.

Today was a good day. One week after the car confession, and the world had righted itself, without so much as a blink. They had worked on a case and she felt fine. Almost relived because the weight that used to have residence on her shoulders had disappeared. Booth was back to his albeit, new normal self again. And for that, for Booth she decided to make the effort, and have lunch with Hannah. From that point on every certainty that she had on Booth had fallen apart.

Hannah. The diner. He told her and the anthropologist was pretty sure that he had confided in Sweets also, without asking her, like it was none of her business. Sitting there, at the diner side table, listening at Hannah talk, Brennan felt a big surge of anger going through her. Not just anger tough. She never felt nothing like it before. her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and before Hannah could finish her sentence, Brennan, rudely cut her off.

"he told you?" Brennan asked without hesitation. It seemed as her tone of voice had turned into ice for the other woman's ears.

"yes,…" Hannah said looking into her salad.

"What exactly did HE tell you?" asked Brennan, looking at Hannah.

"That you asked him for a second ch…." Brennan cut her off again.

"I didn't ask anything of him, I don't remember doing it. And I am certainly not that suffering from memory loss. I remember telling him that, I, had made a mistake and that, I, would have to live with the regret, and that it was for all_ for all intents and purposes_, MY problem, my feelings, not yours and certainly not his! what the hell made you and him think that you two had any right to discuss my feelings…" she suddenly felt disgusted with herself. She had put herself up for this. And she couldn't believe her ears. What is between us, is ours! my rear end, she thought.

"It is our business too, it affects us..."

"No, it doesn't. It's not like it intervenes in your life in any way, or modify your feelings, or his... and it doesn't change anything between the two of you. You two are in love with each other… I am not going to interfere with that. That I guarantee you, now more than ever. What did you think? that I would claim him now, after I even helped YOU and supported HIM in this relationship? Really. He cannot be that stupid, and I didn't picture you to be the idiot, that you are being right now!"

"Temperance really…" Hannah tried to explain, but with no use, as Brennan started gathering her things.

"Listen Hannah, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you or Booth, so now I am going to pay my check, and walk out. I would very much appreciate if you could refrain from calling me unless there is a life or death emergency. If you'll excuse me I have better things to do…" and like that she got up, paid her bill and walked out towards her car. She got in and turned on the engine, put the car in gear, and took off, towards the Jeffersonian.

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><p>If you could drop me a few words…<p>

madisondanes


	2. the lab

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Bones…

A/N: thanks to who actually took the time to comment my chapter. I wasn't expecting much feedback. And for what I received I am very grateful. I had some difficulty writing this chapter and I am still doubtful, of what I wrote. Of course this Brennan is not your usually collected, clinical Brennan. I think that most of the time her tendency to cling to her profession, a field in which she succeed, even in her way of talking, to her profession is a way to protect herself from the outside world. It's like she has this mask on 24 hours a day, until somebody or something brakes it. And Booth this time did it, and he may have to deal with this new Brennan, in later chapters.

So she may be conceived OOC, here. But that's OK for me. I hope you guys like it!

Please tell me if I should, continue or not….

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><p>The time required on a normal traffic day, from the diner to the Jeffersonian with her car, was normally of 6 minutes. It took Temperance Brennan half of the time, driving through the road of Washington, dc. It was an unusual behavior for her, but so was state that unexpectedly she was in. Anger didn't even began to cover what she was feeling. And she really didn't know what to do. Going back to the lab maybe a mistake. Angela would see her upset and she would insist on her talking her feelings out, and talking some more. But talking was what got her into this mess in the first place.<p>

Taking a plane. Anywhere, everywhere. That was a scary thought, because she knew that if she wanted she could do it. And that was running, and running was something that she promised herself not to do anymore. Plus she promised her dad and her brother, that she would stay. And then Angela and the baby. No. no plane in her near future. Maybe a little weekend trip, but no plane outside the country.

She refused to even think about it.

Arrived at the lab, she parked her car in her usual spot. Now what? she took a deep breath, trying to even her breathing. She could do it. She did have on her six years of yoga classes. It took almost five minute, but once her breathing was back to normal, she checked her appearance in the mirror, and then calmly got out of the car, locking it behind her. She made her way to the nearby elevator. The only sound heard was the clicking of her paced steps against the concrete.

Once arrived, she didn't look at anybody, ignored her interns standing on the platform, and went straight to her office door, not noticing the glances that her team was sending her. She got in and closed the door behind her.

With the blinds down, she turned on the lights, she sat at her desk chair and leaned on the head rest, trying to concentrate her breathing, trying to calm herself down, before she bit somebody else head off.

What she had said to Hannah sure was spot on, but she had never insulted someone purposefully. But for all the science in the world, that really felt good.

Even though the simple memory made her smile, feeling better or calming herself, was really going to be difficult. Damn the day he walked into my life! She cursed. Then she heard the door slowly opening..

"Ah Dr. Brennan?" Cam Saroyan was never easily scared. But the good anthropologist had that power sometime.

"Cam what is it now?" Brennan said almost annoyed by the interruption.

"ah, nothing just wanted to see how you were…"

"I am fine, like I was this morning when you walked in and asked the same question, remember?"

"Just wanted to make sure…"

"Of what…" and now Brennan was really annoyed.

"Ahm did something happened between you and Seely? You seem upset!"

"Why everybody assume that…and I am not upset!" she said sitting up, staring deep into Cam's eyes "now is there something of importance that you wanted me to do or talk about, because other ways …"

"no, just saw you entering and you seemed upset … you're not so my bad…but if you need anything"

"I'll be sure to let you know"

"OK then " and with that Cam closed the door.

Temperance took a deep breath e regained the position against the headrest.

Why everybody felt the need to comment on her life was beyond her. The last time she had checked she was an adult and she could…

"Ah Dr. B are you OK?" asked Hodgins peeking in and then entering fully her office.

"Hodgins" Brennan sighed as she knowledge the presence of the entomologist.

"I swear I came in peace. Angela, she's worried…"

"I am just not feeling very well right now… I'll be fine" if only that's what it was, she thought.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"NO!"

"I figured that, but I had to try you know.."

"Thank you "she said softly and as the entomologist walked out closing the door behind him, she took another deep breath, hoping that Angela wouldn't come in, demanding to know what happened. The more the time passed the more she felt her anger raising. She could feel it in her shortness of breath. It was like somebody was literally sitting on her chest, and the only way to relieve the feeling would be yelling. She never felt such a powerful emotion before. The love that she felt for Booth was powerful, but she could still control it. This emotion that she was experiencing seemed to be unwilling to be tamed...a sudden thought made her smile: 206 bones, which would be the most painful for him? the scaphoid, of course sweet old bone. One of the most difficult bones to heal, and one of the easiest to brake… she shook her head smirking at the possibility, she returned on her own desk. She would try and do something productive. She would check her email, and answer the most urgent ones. And that was her plan. A simple plan really. And it would have had its effect of distracting her if not for Angela barging in her office without knocking, demanding to know what had the hell had happened to her.

"Now sweetie what is going on with you?"the best friend asked…

" I really have to put up a sign saying please knock before entering… "she softly asked herself…

"It's about Booth isn't it?"

"Angela" Brennan said trying to get the friend attention…

"What did that handsome agent do now?"

"Angela" she repeated, unbelieving that her best friend was purposefully ignoring her reprimand

"I knew it"

"Angela" Brennan tightened her jaw, trying desperately to control herself…

"You had a fight with him… didn't you"

"ANGELA!" the artist stopped talking startled by Brennan's yelling. Temperance took a deep breath and started talking again. " I am sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you, but even though you are my best friend, and usually your advice, have been of great help, right now I am asking you… no, I am telling you to let it go…I find myself to be in a very bad mood and need some peace and quiet, can you do that?" she said as the anthropologist walked around her desk, to face the artist.

" But you are never in a bad mood sweetie, and you are not typically like this, something must've happened…"

"Why?" and now Brennan was ticked off…

"What?" Angela was now taken aback. she never saw Brennan behave like this...this is bad she thought.

"Why something must've happened…because I am in a bad mood? So … I have a BAD MOOD what of it? Am I not supposed to have a BAD MOOD just because I am Dr. Brennan, cold fish extraordinaire?" Brennan said, getting up from her chair and moving towards Angela.

"No sweetie, I never said, that is so not what I meant…" but Brennan was now ignoring her answer, as she continued to rant. " You have a bad mood anytime you think about it, Hodgins has a bad mood, anytime you are in a bad mood, Cam has a bad mood every other week, Booth has been in a bad mood for the last year and half, I am in a bad mood one day and everybody is throwing that in my face?"

"No sweetie… I didn't mean to do that… I am so sorry… I'll leave you alone…" and with that Angela exited her office in a haste, leaving a upset Brennan in her wake. So much for compartmentalizing you feelings! She took another deep breath and another one again, until she regained at least a facade of calmness.

OK maybe going back to the lab wasn't such a great idea, she thought. She took a another deep breath just to make sure and exited her office, walking quickly towards Angela's. She knocked on the closed door.

"Come in…" answered Angela softly.

"Angela I am sorry, I didn't mean to take out my anger at you" the anthropologist moved to seat next to her best friend…

"Sweetie is not it, it's just I am worried about you… maybe if you could talk to me about it…"

"There are some things I have to figure out on my own, Angela. I appreciate the offer tough … I know that you are there if I ever want to talk, but…"

"You have to do it yourself…"

"Yeah"

"Just promise me, and to your godson, that you will NOT leave the country…"

"I promise…I think it's better if I called it a day, go home and take some rest…"

"OK sweetie" and with that Angela crushed her in a big hug.

Exiting Angela's office, she was relieved on how much damage control, she had been capable to pull off, in there. She went directly into her own office to gather her things ready to go home, maybe the gym to clear her head, when she saw a figure sitting in her office. Upon entering, she saw the last person whom she thought had the nerve to enter office, TODAY…

Being calm and collected was NOT on her cards today…

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><p>Thank you for reading… and PLEASE leave a comment….<p>

madisondanes


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones

A/N: first, DID YOU GUYS SEE THE NEW CLIP…. I CAN'T WAIT FOR NOVEMBER… anyway I wanted to really thank everybody who took time to leave me a review. I really hope that reading this, it's helping you to get over the horror of a season that was the sixth.

Now on this chapter, when I am hurt or annoyed a turn to sarcasm. Well there is plenty in here. Not very Brennan like, but again she is ooc here… I hope that you'll like this chapter. It is longer then the other two, so get comfortable….

Here goes…

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><p><em>Exiting Angela's office, she was relieved on how much damage control she had been capable to pull off. She went directly into her own office to gather her things ready to go home, maybe the gym, to clear her head, when she saw a figure sitting in her office. Upon entering, she saw the last person whom she thought had the nerve to enter office, TODAY…<em>

_Being calm and collected was NOT on her cards today…_

She took a deep breath, before entering her office. Step by step, heartbeat per heartbeat, she tried to even her breathe. If she was going to do this here, she needed a plan. She needed to be subtle, but not too much…in other words she needed to be Booth. And that made her even more furious, making her efforts to stay calm futile. She needed to be the old Dr. Brennan, that used to make everybody around her squirm…she looked at the person sitting on her couch, when a smile appeared on her face…

"Dr. Sweets, did we have an appointment? " she asked feigning innocence.

"Ah no, Dr. Brennan just stopping by…" he said standing up making his way towards her.

"All the way from the Hoover Building?" she asked doubtful of his reasons.

"Well, I thought that, seeing that I am already here we could talk, it's been so long since…."

"Therapy ?" she finished the sentence for him. SARCASM… not good, thought the psychologist

"Yes…" and now she was making him nervous. He was supposed to have control of the situation…

"Dr. Sweets, it seems obvious to me that you have something on your mind? If you want to ask a question, please don't hold back… "

"I was just wandering how the partnership with agent Booth was going?"

"Oh…. Well our parameters of a working partnership are within normal, we just closed a case actually remember? You were there… the mechanic ?"

"No… I mean yes I remember just was wondering, how it was going between you and Booth, that's all…"

"Who's asking, the psychologist, or the friend…."

"The friend, of course…."

"Well then. Everything with Booth is just fine… isn't it…unless, of course you know something that I don 't…"

"NO" a little to quick, as an answer, but for Brennan was enough. Obviously Hannah had called Booth and Booth, called Sweets. And yes, she was disappointed. And she was even more furious than before, it that was possible.

"OK, then everything is fine… and how are you Sweets?" she asked, with a soft tone. But it had everything but reassuring notes. He understood right there, that she knew why he was in her office… she had to threat delicately, if he wanted to solve the issue….

"You know, don't you?" he asked point blank.

"What, what do I know, there are so many things in this planet, it's impossible to know everything…but in the event you were referring to something in particular, the next time you should be more precise…I look at myself as a highly intelligent woman, but I don't read minds…that's your job…" Brennan was actually having fun.

"Dr. Brennan I understand that you are hurt that agent booth told Hannah, about your pledge of a second chance, but she's is his girlfriend and she had a right to know…. And that Hannah told you…"

"How do you know that…about booth and me and about Hannah and me? He told you everything didn't he? Well and they say communication is complicated… so let me guess…Hannah told Booth, and Booth called you to do what… pacify me… explain things, that obviously my cold, cold heart cannot understand…"

"That's not what I meant…."

"Well then explain to me what you meant, I am very curious…" Brennan asked unaware of the fact that Angela, Cam and Hodgins, and some of her interns were listening in the conversation.

"On some degree I see where you feel betrayed, really… but you hurt Booth… he went to Afghanistan to move on, and now that he did, he feels like he has to be loyal to his girlfriend no matter what… that's his commitment, and you know that he is a very loyal person…."

"Yes I know, you are right, what did I expect? … Nothing that's what I expected, nothing, because I didn't pledge, like you say, a second chance, I merely told hi, my best friend mind you that I had regrets, and that I had to live with them, and apparently he read into it something that was not there… if he did then it's not my fault…"

"Of course not.." he retorted cynically. Unfortunately for the psychologist that same tone didn't go unnoticed by the anthropologist.

"Do you have something to say Sweets, remember this is the zone of truth…" she said with a smirk on her face

"Fine, you know what? it is you fault, if you hadn't gone to Maluku, then…."

"Daisy would still be with you?" rage was what she was feeling, and unable to control herself anymore, she exploded. "I would like to make something clear here so that you can understand. First I am a grown woman, I make my own decision, not damned the consequences, because when I came back I did nothing but try to make up for it, but it seems like it's never enough. And today…today I learned a lesson, and I looked myself into the mirror sweets. I am not myself. This weak woman that I have became it's n ot me. this damsel in distress that needs her own prince charming, it's not me. I am not the woman that takes the blame, on herself, even when it's not due, and for what? a man. Today i finally looked in the mirror, Sweets, and i found someone that i don't recognize anymore. And you know what else? of course, Cam almost Risks HER JOB, WHILE I WAS NOT THERE, AND somehow IT'S MY FAULT, YOU LOST DAISY, AND IT'S MY FAULT, WHAT? IS IT MY FAULT Too THAT ANGELA AND HODGINS WENT TO PARIS, DID I PUT A GUN AT THEIR HEADS AND COERCED THEM INTO GOING, NO! IS IT MY FAULT THAT CAROLINE ALMOST LOST THE CASE? NO, DID I SIGN THE DEPLOYMENT PAPER FOR BOOTH, NO I DIDN'T, SO NO IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I DID EVERYTHING THAT I COULD TO SUPPORT HIM AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HANNAH, AND I DID EVERYTHING THAT I COULD TO MAKE UP FOR MY ABSENCE! What I did then it was what I had to do for me, what I needed." She took a deep breath to try and calm herself and then began to speak again slowly, almost whispering " I love my job, and you know what? I have worked for it, and i made sacrifices, seen things that you, innocent, naive Sweets cannot imagine. Bones don't lie, and I could always trust that the truth that would came out would be enough. I believed in justice, I believed in the system, and it had failed. IT FAILED. It wasn't enough anymore! If I hadn't gone to Maluku, I would ended up, what is the term? Right, burn out… and none of you understood that. Not Booth, not you, and not Cam… Angela, she did, on some degree. So no it's not my fault, that's the point. I had an entire list of possible substitute for Cam, and she didn't hire none of them. I didn't tell Daisy to came with me, I didn't hold her at a gun point! You gave her the ultimatum, you choose, she choose, that's what ultimatums are for… and now you have regrets, just like I did. What I told Booth, was me confiding to my best friend, about something personal ,not realizing that I was talking to a different person… and that's a mistake, that believe you me, I am not going to make ever again… now if you'll excuse me I would like to go home".

Brennan gathered her things and began walking out of the office, as a hurt cam, Angela, and Hodgins hastily busied themselves with none existent chores. Walking determinately towards the door, she turned around for a second, looking at them, and then said " do I have you permission to take the rest of the day?" and a surprised cam stuttered a yes, and before she could say anything else Brennan had already exited the lab. A minute later a disgruntled Sweets came out. Looking at the rest of the team, he said " the dam just broke, and I don't know what to do…" shaking his head he started walking towards the exit with a defeated stride. He tried to help and failed. He knew now, that it was all his fault…

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><p>Making her way towards the car, all the anger dissipated, leaving room for pure and unadulterated numbness. It had been years since this feeling had graced her with its presents. But there it was. She was too tired to feel anything. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Had she became such a burden in his life… she was so tired. Too tired to fight, or to go over his office and yell at him. Too tired.<p>

In that moment the false sense of contentment that she felt over the last few days, she understood was just an illusion. Just like the partnership, that tied her with this new and unimproved Seely Booth, just like their friendship. Damn the day he had walked in that class room. Damn the day she accepted the partnership, and consequently him in her life.

Not to get her wrong. She was plenty grateful, for what he had done for her brother and father. but now here he was, humiliating, disrespecting her over and over the last six months. Her persona and her job. Time and time again she told herself that it was normal. That it had to do with a readjustment period. But now, she understood she was wrong. And Temperance Brennan is NEVER wrong.

Tired with debating with herself, she put her car in gear, and took off. Driving mindlessly, was something she never did before. A waste of time and gas. But what the hell.

She took a right turn and there it was the national mall. Oh the irony. She parked the car, and with half smile of disbelief she walked towards the coffee cart, almost as it was a normal thing that she did every day. She ordered an espresso, maybe not the best in her state of mind, but she reflected a little quantity of caffeine was NOT going to have any effect on her. And she sat on the bench, looking at people.

While thinking back on that night, maybe just maybe she DID the right thing. Gambling was not for scientists. You don't gamble the most important thing in your life. EVER. And for her it was their partnership. And how high the fall was for her, to find out the hard way, that in the end she had not been that important to him.

Six years of lines. Lines that she doesn't remember crossing. He always crossed them in one way or the other. It was a partner thing he said.

It had been a game for him. Game rules that he had dictated after the end of his relationship with Cam, rules that he had changed twice in the space of three minutes. Together now, forever thirty, forty, fifty years and then five seconds later he has to move on.

Was it possible it had been all a game. All an illusion, for which his coma dream was responsible for.

And it had been her dream, her manuscript. She had wrote it, and then read to him, while he was unconscious. Ha had said that he knew, that he was that guy, but in the end, he didn't know anything.

A hand on her shoulders, startles her as she turns around, and the last person she wanted to see, was standing right there.

"What are you doing here?" she turns to see Booth sitting next to her.

"Me? what are YOU doing here, Angela was worried, and so was everyone else Bones, we have been searching for you for almost three hours…" had she been sitting there that long… and what the hell was he doing , sitting next to her on the bench, like nothing ever happened…THE NERVE, SHE THOUGHT!

"Mh, they were, ah? Well you can tell them that I have no plans for a plane ride anytime soon, so now you can go! I'll call Angela when I get home…"

"Hannah called me…" he said looking at his hands and ignoring her. He was getting awfully good at that, she thought.

"of course she did, didn't she…"

"She told me what you told her…."

"yep… and then you told Sweets…by the way Sweets, was in my office, but you know that…you sanded him…what for I have no idea…"

"Bones?"

"You two are incredible. Really made for each other. You and Hannah that is, not you and Sweets, although nothing can surprise me anymore. And Sweets...Always putting your nose where it doesn't belong, and yes I do know the meaning of the expression.

"Listen maybe we should talk…"

"I don't think it's such a good idea, us talking… so if you could leave please…"

"Well I do, please…"

"You really want to talk ah? Are you sure you are ready for this booth? Are you sure you want to listen to what I have to say?" she asked turning towards him.

"Yes I am…"

"OK then, where do you want me to start...my mistakes, my…what…"

"I had to tell her Bones…"

"What for…if you have moved on, like you were proclaiming since… well actually since you've been back, and don't care for me that way then why tell her…. It didn't change nothing between the two of you, it was, it is my problem, not yours, and, I sure as hell wasn't going to talk about it with anybody…"

"That night…."

"That night I was talking to my best friend not a potential love interest… I didn't expect anything and furthermore if you think about it I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING!. You never listen, or maybe you just don't care. Metaphorically speaking, you and I, we are speaking different languages. And I am too tired to learn yours…"

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><p>I hope you liked it, and please tell me if I should write more…<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Bones!

A.N: I am so sorry, for the lateness of this chapter but life got in the way: school, and the fact that my dad had a very slight ischemic attack and was hospitalized for it, but now thankfully is home and on the path of getting better. Under the circumstances I deem myself very lucky!

As for the chapter, I am very doubtful that is going to make any sense: it is difficult to make Brennan say all the things that I wanted her to point out to him, and I don't know if I succeeded, I really hope so… Booth doesn't have much dialogue… if you think the fact that he talked plenty in the episode 6x09, way too much for my liking. So now is her turn!

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><p>…<em>."That night I was talking to my best friend not a potential love interest… I didn't expect anything and furthermore if you think about it I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING!. You never listen, or maybe you just don't care. Metaphorically speaking, you and I, we are speaking different languages. And I am too tired to learn yours…"<em>

"What… what do you mean?" he stutters this words looking at her, trying to see any visible sign of what's to come, but for the first time since he came back, he can't recognize anything from the old Bones

"It means.. it means that I am tired…it means that I cannot do this anymore… we tried… well I did anyway and it backfired… so I am done… done with this thing that we have or had… I don't even know how to call it anymore…" she said the numbness evident in her tone of voice.

"You're done? With what? Me or the partnership?" he answered almost chocking on his own words.

"With all of this Booth…I am exhausted…. You once said that we were the center, and that the center must hold. But for the last months, I have been the only one holding it… and metaphorically speaking, it's getting very heavy…"

"You are giving up, of course you are…" he matters under his breath hoping that it would go unnoticed, but as he held his head up to meet her eyes, he saw the anger creeping in her eyes. As she sat up, she looked down at him.

"Don't go there Booth you were the one to give up on it a long time ago… but if you are so convinced that I am throwing away something important, then give me a reason, a logical reason, as to why I should hold on this friendship/partnership, whatever you want to call it? Well?"

"I…."

"See there's nothing…"

"No, no, no you don't get to do this… is this some sort of punishment for the other night…I have waited, Bones. I have waited years for you. But you said no and I had to move on. I have every right to…" he said getting up from the bench and looking straight into her eyes.

"yes, You do…"

"Yes exactly I do… wait what?" he couldn't believe hi ears.

"See! you aren't listening now and you didn't listen to what I said a week ago. What I have told Hannah today was the truth…I don't lie, booth and I was very serious. Telling her about what I told you, was low, and uncalled for, unnecessary, I never had any intention of ever coming between the two of you… that night, I was talking to my best friend, asking nothing of you! I never would have…. The more I think of it, the more I am convinced that you walking away, that night was for the best because I am not that kind of woman, I don't go after unavailable men, never did, never will. And this is something that as my friend you should have known! My feelings are my problems only. That night I was at a very weird point. And I thought I could confide in you, clearly I was mistaken. And believe you me it's never going to happen again! If I wanted Hannah or Sweets to know, I would have told them myself, Booth…"

"Bones I never thought…"as she cut him off again.

"Of course you didn't, you think everything is about you, well it's not. It is very clear to me that you love Hannah, that she's not a consolation prize, you said so yourself remember…"

" Bones listen I understand how you are feeling right now, and I am sorry, I really am your friend… this feeling, believe me it'll pass… I have been there.."

"Where? Where have you been… you have been nowhere. You think you have been there but you haven't. you have no idea what it's like Booth. You think you know heartbreak? Think again..So your dad wasn't there, welcome to the club Booth, he was an abuser, again welcome to the club, but you had Hank with you! Who did I have? Nobody! You don't know how does it feel, can you breathe easy, can you sleep at night, do you have nightmares? Over and over again I have been through this, Booth. You wouldn't survive a day in my shoes, with my memories… and just so we are clear YOU HAVE LOVED ME FOR YEARS? HOW MANY BOOTH? One, two, six years? Why did you think you loved me… what was it that made you realize?"

"…." Maybe he was in shock, but although he tried, he couldn't seem to muster an answer until…

"You have no idea, do you?" Brennan was looking at him expectantly with her arms crossed over her chest

"The scans" he whispered…

"I don't know what that means" Brennan answered confused...

"I was sure when Sweets showed me the CAT scans, OK?"

"So after the coma? Let me guess highlighted part of your brain, that shows when _you are in love_? Oh Booth, you didn't love me then, and you didn't love me a year ago. You fell in love all right, with a version of me that it doesn't exist Booth, if not on paper! You were in love with Brennan!"

"How…no!"

"Yes! The dream you had about us being married… it wasn't just a dream. I WROTE IT! I sat in that chair waiting for you to wake up, writing the story. And while I was writing it, I was reading it to you… Cam and Jared in the FBI, the Lab… I wrote all of it. That's where it came from. ME! I wrote it and read it to you. It wasn't a figment of your imagination or a way for your subconscious to make you realize your feelings for me. Me, Booth! And when you woke up… I simply deleted it. What was the point in keeping it, we had a line remember, your LINE!"

"No…no

"Yes! whatever you felt it wasn't for me! you were not in love with me that night at Hoover… and you certainly don't love me now. You didn't know anything. You didn't know from the beginning, not consciously, anyway! I was the one struggling with it Booth, since that night with the tequila remember… that's why I jumped on the first flight to Guatemala."

"No it can't ….NO!"

" It scared the hell out of me, how you made me feel…I didn't want that, especially with you. I knew that if I stayed it would be my demise and that I would end up broken beyond any recognition and I have been kidnapped, tortured, broken and put together over and over again, nothing touched! but you, the only thing that could bring me down… nothing but a simple ordinary man. So I run… I admit it. I didn't want to work with you. But I was stupid. I overestimated myself and my capability to compartmentalize my feelings. And I went along with it. Our partnership, became slowly but surely my lifeline. And then Sweet's book happened… you asked me to gamble on my lifeline, Booth! How dare you do something like this to me! You should have known, what it would do to me… but you didn't or you simply forgot who you were talking to…and the rest history and we both know how that went!" she took a deep breath and started talking again, all the while looking at Booth in the eyes "Going to Maluku, was a way for me to look at things, to make order into my life, my job, but above all that, I needed the chance to think, of a way to be with you without having to lose me, Temperance Brennan. I am not impulsive, I need to think things through, to organize and make lists. That's who I am, and I thought that you had accepted it, I thought that the lack of communication, was what you wanted, to get away. That's what you told me, and then you said -let's see each other in year- and I took that as a way for us to start again, in a year as couple! On that flight back here I could envision it! And while I was doing all this thinking and introspection… how high was my fall! You know, right about now I could just say it out loud" she stops for a second taking his expression in. If he wanted to know everything, let's see how he deals with it, she thought – "I am in love with you. There I said it… Does it give pleasure? I love you And I hate every minute, hour, of it! Because now I know that while I was trying to make order into my life for you… you…you were having sex under god damned fig tree!" she couldn't believe what she had just said. It was like a river flood… how do you stop it. Again, overwhelmed by the anger, tried to calm herself. She looked at him, waiting for an answer that never came.

"I … I don't know what to say…" she loved him? wait a minute… this was going way to fast… for him it was like sitting in a roller coaster, without brakes. She loved him?

"It's probably best if you don't say anything because I am not done. I got another argument to discuss with you… you said you loved me, correct?"

"Of course I did what's the point?"

"The point is, you never said to me that you were in love with me… do you realize that I, Temperance Brennan, the socially awkward cold forensic anthropology, that was, unfairly inflicted on you, that cold person that I am, I expressed my feelings for you, before you did for me? "

"No, Bones…I told you"

"In a atta girl kind of way, remember? The irony, believe me, is not lost on me!"

"Oh…" how could he explain to her his own motivations for his behavior towards her, when he didn't even know why he had done half the things he did?

"The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that saying no to you was the best thing that I could have done under the circumstances. And you know why? Here I was sitting on that same bench, listing to you every defect that I had, and you agreed with everything that I said, fifty years to five seconds later, you said _ok, I have to move on_…"

"You agreed…"

"You seemed eager for me to agree, to release you from the burden that I represented in your life. A obstacle to your happiness… and you certainly took it. Not even a week later…"

"Ah that's reach Bones, it's not like you didn't indulge… what about you and Hacker?"

"Me and Hacker? Me and Andrew shared a cup of coffee, and half a dinner, than you called… never saw him again outside of work… And you know what else, in Maluku I considered myself committed! Not looking at anybody else, and believe you me they were some very noticeable… why are we even talking about this right now? I doesn't matter anymore!

"what are you saying, Bones?"

"I don't want to do this, but I see no other way! At this point in time, we just are associates like you said, we are not partners anymore and sadly not we are friends. I look at you and I don't recognize who am I seeing. Or maybe I am the one who changed and I don't know what to do. And I am sorry Booth, because I never meant for it to end like this. And I am aware of the promise I made to help you even your numbers, but I can't not do that anymore…"

"What are you saying?"he couldn't believe what he was listening to…

"I am saying that I need time, and space… I will still retrieve the remains, but I don't want to go out in the field with you… I don't trust myself with you, I don't trust who I am with you, this weak woman and… I don't trust you… maybe it's time to start training Wendell to be the liaison… if you'd still like to work for the Jeffersonian…"

"NO! no… wait a minute, Bones! You've got to be kidding! You are severing our partnership! I won't allow you!"too fast, he thought. All too fast!

"There's nothing for you to allow, Booth. We both know that I am just anticipating the inevitable. You said it yourself, you and Hannah, it's a done deal. You'll get married someday, do you really think that She will allow you to still work with me?"

"…."

"Booth I can't go on like this, you snapping at me at every turn... I am not going to take that anymore! Maybe you are right… it is my fault, for not speaking up… or for everything else that makes you mad at me! But I will be not held responsible for something that I didn't do, any longer! It's time, Booth, that I make my own rules, it is time to think about my future. It's selfish, I know, but I don't care…"

"Of course you don't care Bones"

"It's not the same thing. I did what I did to protect you from inevitable heartbreak that could have followed, you did what did because you wanted payback…" as soon as she said those words, he knew she was right, at least in part. But this. No!

"You are deciding something alone that should be discussed between us, together, Bones. Let's think about this!"

"Discuss between us? like what is between us, is ours?"

"Yes, exactly…. Oh" and now he did get it. He was the king of hypocrites.

"You understand now? I discussed the egg thing with him, you went to her not discussed not your feelings, or even the story behind it, no you felt the right to discuss, with a perfect stranger MY feelings!"

"I didn't think of it that way, Bones I am sorry, please think about this. We can do this. We can keep the partnership…"

"That's another point. I need time and space. I need to look elsewhere. I need to be able to be myself, Dr. Temperance Brennan again. And to be able to do that I need to estrange myself from you, Booth. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for what you did for my family, my dad and my brother. But I need to let you go. We are part of a great imaginary family, Booth. Angela, Cam, Hodgins, even Sweets. We are all part of something great here. In a few months we are going to be godparents, if Angela doesn't change her mind! That's why I am the one who has to take a step back. This way nobody will suffer… I'll still work there, and I'll consult if needed…and you can live your life with Hannah without my presence looming over you! You said it yourself, she isn't a consolation prize! It is the right thing to do, Booth!"

"No"

"YES, Booth, it is the best decision I can make for myself without letting anybody down…"

"Bones, if you think it's for the best… we'll see each other round right? Maybe for coffee…"

"I don't think so, I think it could be counterproductive, don't you agree?… And for the record I don't think I'll be able to ever stop loving you, I surrendered months ago to the thought, but I will try nonetheless. I am dr. Temperance Brennan after all… Goodnight Booth…" and with that she walked away…

"Bones wait…" a little ray of hope shot from his eyes, when she turned towards him.

"Oh, and another thing, I really would appreciate if the contents of this conversation could stay between us…" with that she walked away. And Booth could do nothing but stand there, yet to find the courage or the energy to fight her for this, or even fight for her. He was the one who wanted to live his relationship with Hannah, he was the one who claimed to have moved on. And now he found his chance. But somehow this thought, didn't give him any relief.

A pair of eyes watched him, from distance. Shaking his head beck and fort in resignation, this person, standing in the shadow, couldn't stop thinking that Booth didn't even know what he was about to let go…

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><p>Did you like it? Hate it?<p>

Should I continue it? Please review…..


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Bones is not mine!

A/n: are you still here? I am truly sorry for the incredible delay that updating took. Life, exams, and family took my time and attention elsewhere. And then writer's block came, with very distracting ideas. The point now is how to put them all together into something that will make sense. Again I am so mortified!

I WILL get around to reply to all the reviews, I PROMISE!

Again thanks to everybody who took the time to actually read this.

About the chapter, I sat down and I wrote it, so if you find mistakes, I am so sorry… I will correct them…

Now without further ado…

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><p>Walking away, is always the coward thing to do. But what if it was the only thing left to do?<p>

Maybe she was being ridiculous, maybe she was just tired and maybe she had been wrong…NO! she was right. She knew that in her brain and in her own metaphorical heart. She had to give herself this chance to be free, and unwillingly she had all over again freed Booth to do whatever he wanted. Only now it wasn't her business anymore.

Angela would surely disagree with her, and Cam, well maybe she would blame this on Brennan, after all it wasn't the first time. But the feeling that she felt while walking away yet again, was different to what she felt the previous times she run. A sense of peace perverted her, because this time she wasn't running away, but just decided herself what Booth hadn't had the courage to decide. Sweets would want to analyze the psychological effects of the situation, but there was a reason why she didn't' like psychologists and why they didn't like her.

Getting in the car, and driving away from the parking spot took an immense amount of energy, and when she arrived home, she felt exhausted and without even turning the lights on, she went directly in her bedroom, and laid in her comfortable bed. Seconds later sleep overcame her like she hadn't slept in months.

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><p>"I think you need this more than I do!" a cup of coffee appeared out of nowhere, startling Booth out of his reverie…<p>

"Max?"

"You remember me, I am so touched…" the old man said sitting down beside Booth

"What are you doing here?"

"I just went for a walk…"

"You saw us, didn't you!"

"By accident, yes!"

"You heard us…." Said Booth shaking his Head. Unbelievable, he thought!

"I am an ex con man after all, I have eyes and ears everywhere…" Max answered as Booth suddenly sat up…

"Let me guess you want to make me pay right, well I am tired, I think for tonight I have had the full Brennan treatment…"

"Aw, poor, little Seely Booth, well now you are going to have the full Keenan treatment, it is slightly different from the Brennan treatment I assure you… sit down Booth!"

"But…."

"Why do I always have to repeat myself, I said sit down here, not there here…. Don't look so afraid, I am not going to kill you…."

Taking a deep breath Booth started "I suppose she told you…"

"No, she told Russ, Russ told Amy, and Emma overheard them talking about it and then told me… I am after all their grandpa! By the way you are enemy number one for the girls… I dint' really know that a nine year old could actually get mad at somebody she never really seen! "

"What do you want?"

"Just making sure, that you actually know what is going to happen from now on… or better yet, what you got yourself into, because clearly you have no idea. Everybody thinks that they know my daughter better than me. The problem is that they don't. YOU obviously don't! I made her, and I raised her for her first fourteen years and I think the basics are still there! my little Temperance was always a sucker for mysteries and closed doors, closed cabinets, secrets, that is why she wanted to be an archeologist first… she always used to sneak out of her room, in the middle of the night to see that horror movie… TheMmummy, she always drove my Ruthie crazy… you, buddy! you opened a door for her! A world filled with feelings and emotion and love as well as heartbreak, and you showed her that she can actually live with it. And You, Special Agent Seely Booth, You practically you did the hard work, my friend! It will have its benefits, and it is really a shame that you won't get enjoy them, might I add! And I don't believe for one second, that she's not going to be able to find somebody else, somebody better looking than you, richer, and without the amount of insecurities that us men often bear over money and status. She's a beautiful, smart woman after all. Maybe it won't be tomorrow, or next week, but she will eventually move on. And it will be DEFINITIVE. You know how she doesn't like to go back on her decisions. And maybe she will even find a reason enough for her to concede marriage, her words, not mine. A reason enough, Booth. That's all it takes. Somebody to fight for her and with her the for love. And I ask myself, when this will happen, because it will, where will you be?"

"Ah, I , what?"- Booth jus sat there staring ahead, like he had just saw a ghost. Would he be happy for her. Would he let her go… he already did… wait, what?

" I think you really should think about this… but if doesn't bother you, thinking about my daughter in the arms of another man, then, my bad! Good night Booth… - and with that Max walked away. This irony however, this time was not lost on Booth…

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><p>THREE WEEKS LATER<p>

After that night, in the Jeffersonian Institute as well as the FBI headquarter had reigned a sort of fog of confusion above the heads of those who didn't know the when, how's, and why's! The who's? It was fairly all over town, that one workaholic dr. Temperance Brennan did not go into the field anymore. Retrieving remains and particulates was the only, outside of the lab, activity that she did for the FBI these days.

In the interrogation room now stood Booth and newly appointed doctor Wendell Bray. The duo, had found in the only two cases that they worked together some kind of understanding about procedure, who gets the gun and who does the talking.

The FBI, not willing of letting dr. Brennan go, had invented for her some sort of sabbatical leave with the possibility of consultation over the most difficult cases. Brennan, could refuse that! So the FBI was happy and so was the Jeffersonian Institute, which was assured, by a very contrite Cam, that Brennan would Not, under no circumstances leave the continent if not for the institution's affairs!

The happiest of them all, had been Hannah. Not that she wasn't sorry for what had happened. She liked Temperance more that she cared to admit, but the awkwardness and the undeniable pressure to be her friend were gone. And so was gone the pressure that Brennan had unknowingly put on Seely since he came back. He looked a little more relaxed than before if you don't count the times where he had openly missed the anthropologist.

For Parker nothing really had changed, the science program was back on track, and he could navigate the lab without any parental restriction, if not the one of the authoritative dr. Saroyan, and complicity of dr. Hodgins and Angela.

Angela on the other hand, had not been happy at all with this new development. First her friend goes crazy snapping at everybody in site, herself included, than she takes the weekend off, for god knows what reason, she goes on a trip out of town, and now the new FBI liaison, for all intents and purposes was Wendell. And she still didn't know more about this that any other person at the FBI. But she knew somebody who did know. Aside from brennan Herself, but finding out from him, would be very difficult since that person was Max Keen. And he had not been called the best ex con man from this side of the coast for kissing and telling. She had absolutely no way out. Asking Brennan had definitively been the hardest task that she's ever faced. The anthropologist had been appointed just now as the new host of the new Egyptian exhibition, that would coincide with the annual gala, that the Jeffersonian had organized. She would make sure that her best friend had the best night of her life!

She need a plan and she needed it now!

Walking purposefully towards Brennan office she was about to knock when she entered her best friend patiently arguing on the phone. She silently sat down, and listened…

"I understand that, and I know that the naval radio system is not my DISPOSAL but I NEED TO CONTACT ADMIRAL SANDECKER, RIGHT NOW!" she paused as she listen to the operator rolling her eyes! When she noticed Angela, she held up her hand towards Angela for her to wait… " yes, PLEASE go and get your superior, Lieutenant …THE NAME? for the love of everything rational DR. TEMPERANCE BRENNAN AND I AM SEARCHING FOR ADMIRAL JIM SANDECKER! I will wait while you look!" with the phone on one hand Brennan looked over Angela " did you need something Angela?"

"Oh well actually I know that you have been very stressed out, so I thought that maybe a dinner with everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY is exactly what you need… what do you say?"

"Eh?" Brennan answered still engrossed in the phone call

"Dinner…" Angela repeated patiently

"Yes, ok Angela, tell me when and where and I'll be there or at least I'll try! Excuse me!" and then all of a sudden she returned to the phone… "YES, YES I am still here miraculous isn't it! OF COURSE YOU CAN PUT ME TROUGH!... Jim, it's Temperance Brennan… yes I am fine, how are you? Good, listen I have taken over the organization of the Egyptian exhibit, from doctor Samuelson… no he's fine, just appendicitis, he'll recover, but I understand that you have an important set of remains that I should be receiving, I just wanted the specifics of the arrival… really good! Who 's going to supervise the trip? Jim? Are you there… I asked who is going to supervise the arrival… WHAT! No! listen get someone else! No Jim he is a danger for everything that travels with him, remember your boat… Jim? JIM!"

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><p>Who got the references? do you hate it, like it?<p>

Should I continue?

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own Bones…

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><p>an: gosh, it's been so long since I've updated last. I AM REALLY SORRY for this. But life, studies and other stuff have a way of getting in the middle and they take priority over writing….

So I wrote this, while I was home because of the flu…. So I don't know if it will be any good… I just hope you guys like it….

P.s.: not having read any of the books of Clive Cussler: I am basing the characterization of Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino , in a mix between Wikipedia and the movie… I apologize if anyone fan of the book find this offensive, tough they just have a cameo…

Last a/n: I promise….

Any medical mistakes is due to my lack of knowledge in medicine…. I study law!

And without further ado….

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><p>Another case went by, and so for Booth another celebratory night with Hannah.<p>

The day after that night at the mall, the second one, Bones had requested a meeting with Hacker and himself. Her official reason for severing the partnership, was stated in her file, as teaching obligation that she had taken with the university. A job that didn't really need a murder interrupting in the middle of a class. She had stated that she had left that passion to work with the FBI, but now it was her desire to look somewhere else so to speak. And Hacker, being the idiot that he was, and thankfully so, had accepted, on one condition: that she would consult on particularly difficult and gruesome cases. Then she had announced how she intended to proceed. And so Wendell became sort of his partner in interim. All of this happened so quickly that the first case afterwards, without thinking he had called Wendell "Bones", raising in the process a lot of eyebrows.

Hodgins didn't let that one down for at least a week!

Needless to say Wendell was not amused, but accepted it as per the situation he was in. Secretly he couldn't wait for things to go back to normal, if they ever did!

Admitting to himself that he missed Bones was something difficult to do. It meant that she had been right about him. it meant ultimately that he was just joking around with Hannah, the same woman that had moved in with him in his own home.

Working with Wendell had been different. No discussion about who was driving, and stuff. It was, he supposed a guy thing. No discussion or dissertation about some anthropological significance. He did his job and Wendell did his. Nothing had really changed.

After his conversation with Max, he had put the question that the man had asked in the back of his mind. Ignoring it. Like he did about almost everything regarding Temperance Brennan, these days.

Cam had tried to talk to him, let him talk about it, but to no avail. It really physically hurt reliving that night, actually both of them.

The night of the confrontation, the second one, Angela had called frantically telling him, that it was all his fault and that he was such a man, whatever that meant! Then proceed to tell him that Brennan was missing. That and what Hannah had said after her lunch, plus what Sweets had told him, had sent him into a state of panic, not at all different from the time she was kidnapped. And when he saw her sitting at the bench he finally breathed again, but little did he knew that she would leave him again standing like a fool, in just a few moments. And maybe yes he was mad at her. She had wrecked everything that he had worked so hard to achieve, and then to add to the humiliation, she had been right about most factual things. Like she always was!

Yesterday morning, while he was in his office he had received a call from Angela, who had requested, no had ordered his presence with or without Hannah at a dinner that she was organizing for the day before the exhibit. He had tried to argue but the hormonal woman on the other side of the line had hung up. If he was honest he really was looking forward to this dinner; he had to talk to Hannah about it…and so he did, that same night. It had been decided that Booth, would talk to Brennan and see if she had calmed down enough so that the dinner wouldn't be a massacre.

And that is why, the next morning, six days to the exhibit and five days from the dinner, he stood in front of the Jeffersonian, trying to find the courage to enter what he had always considered Bones' haven…

...

Organizing an exhibit the same night of the annual gala, had been the most idiotic thing that the Jeffersonian Board of Administrators has ever done. And they had really done dumb things over the years!

Practically blackmailing Brennan into organizing it, had been a smart move on their part. Because the night was six days ahead and they did not have one of the mummies, yet. And if there was somebody who could have that set of remains in Washington, dc in time had been dr. Temperance Brennan. Of course nobody actually thought it trough, because as the stress level in Brennan was rising, exponentially was also rising the sense of fear and terrors among the rotating interns of the week.

Most days you would find the forensic anthropologist in the Egyptian room, trying to put some order into the mess dr. Samuelson had done. Inventory list were done for a very practical reason, instead the man insisted that he didn't need lists; "it's no problem, I got everything here" proceeding then to point his head. Brennan instead knew exactly what to point into the doctor's head. So she sat at a antique desk going over the few paperwork that the doctor had filled, to find a seemingly lost Egyptian vase that had already been registered as entered in the institution, but nowhere to be found.

The only person who dared enter the room, was Angela, and maybe on good days Hodgins. Nobody really that morning knew what was going to happen an hour from now. The seemingly perfect calm would soon turn into a storm, whose ego was bigger than the European continent if that was even possible.

"Where the hack is it? How can a intelligent person lose a valuable vase! I swear…" Brennan said out loud while she was searching dr. Samuelson computer…

"Are you talking to yourself sweetie!" said all of a sudden Angela giggling…

"You startled me and it is not funny! I am merely stating my high level of frustration out loud…" Brennan answered.

"You didn't find it?"

"No!"

"Did you call dr. Samuelson?"

"Yes I did, I asked and the he proceeded to laugh at me… his wife came to the phone and she informed me that he was still on pain killers, so he is totally of no use to me!"

"Ah, it'll turn up I am sure!" oh Angela, always the optimistic! She tried to cheer her best friend up…

"It better, it's one hundred and fifty thousand dollar fee for the institution if I don't find it!"

"Dr. Brennan?" out of nowhere Daisy Wick had appeared, on the spiral iron staircase, and was now coming down with a scared looked on her face..

"Yes Miss Wick? Do you need something…" answered Brennan trying to be patient with the girl…

"I don't really know how to tell you this…."

"Tell me what?" danger Will Robinson Danger! Thought Angela while observing Brennan. Usually you realized that she was somewhat upset, by the pulsing vain running along her neck…

"Well…." Daisy was hesitant. It was not uncommon that a unnerved Dr. Brennan was a scary Dr. Brennan, and she really didn't want to be in the middle of her path. But all that she did was go down to the basement to get some office supplies and now here she was trembling like a leaf in the middle of autumn!

"Daisy…." intervened Angela. Try and get to the point, please she thought while brennan visibly annoyed rolled her eyes

"I think we found the vase…"

"Where? Where is it?" Brennan inquired the intern

"In the basement. The crate is still intact, but the numbers corresponds and it still had the Egyptian insignia on it so I thought…" she didn't have time to finish the phrase that the anthropologist had sat up from the antique chair and took off. Looking at each other, Angela shrug off her shoulder and made the gesture to Daisy to came with her. The dust was starting to bother her.

She really needed to go to the gym, she thought. She was already out of breath the only five flights of stairs! Dammit!

She paused for a moment to catch her breath, and then took off in the opposite direction, coinciding in that moment with Booth entering the lab. She was so rushed that she didn't even see the agent. From his point of you it was now or never, so he started to run after her.

"Bones, we need to talk…" damn she really was fast!

"what?" she asked him without stopping…

"we need to talk…" retried Booth, louder this time, thinking maybe she hadn't heard him…

"my hearing is just fine thank you very much…you don't need to yell and I heard you the first time" she said to him, while still walking…

"Then why did you say "what""he was confused now. Only this woman had the capability of making him feel like the bubble-head bobby he had home on his mantle...

" I believe it's called colloquialism and now I really don't have time so…excuse me" as she said that she passed her access card and entered a double steel door leaving him dumbfounded…then he entered immediately after her…

"Bones wait…"

"why are you fallowing me? I said that I don't have time…." She said descending quickly the big wooden staircase

"I said we need to talk about the dinner…."

"What dinner are you talking about?" she retorted when he finally came down…

"Angela's. She invited me and Hannah…."

"Hannah and me …." She corrected automatically

"What?"

"never mind…" she said already concentrating on the search. The Jeffersonian basement was a wonderland of artifacts, and arts, like no museum had ever had. Things that had been bought and never really exposed for the public were neatly stored in boxes on what one could imagine being a endless isle of numerous shelves. Boxes and crates everywhere, It was the Valhalla of every historian. The click of her shoes resounded on the floor as she thought back to the conversation her and her best friend had in her office two days before…

"Angela… oh right the dinner but I don't have time now so… what are you doing, you are not authorized down here…" she said now conscious of the fact that they were alone for the first time since the night at the Mall, the second one.

"Bones…wait what are you doing?" Booth asked when he noticed the anthropologist restlessly looking in every pile of boxes..

"I am looking for a box…. " She said in a flat tone….

"What does it look like…." Said Booth now starting to looking around himself…

"What's wrong with you?it looks like any other box only with the Egyptian …. Found it! I really am good! Where is the crowbar…."she looked round only to find that booth had anticipated her and was now handing to her, so she could open the box. And the faster she did open it and find the vase the faster she could get away. From him and what it stirred in matters of minutes in her.

"ah, thank you" she said awkwardly, now opening with more force than necessary.…. once the vase was exposed to the air, Brennan recognized it, she took off toward the intercom system " yes this is Dr. Brennan, I need to security guards down here to load a box in the elevator.."

"I could…."

"If you break it you'll forfeit a one hundred and fifty thousand dollars!" and why the hell he was still following her…

"Oh well… by all means call the big guys!" he answered her, trying to lift the mood, but to no avail…. The moment the " big guys" turned up she all but ignored his presence. But dear God he really had missed her so he stood on the side, leaning on a bed post watching her ordering people around to be careful with it and to go and put the vase in the exhibit room where she was completing her inventory. He knew that she was frustrated, by the end of the process… but dear Lord was he having fun… and then

"What the hell is Cleopatra's bed still doing down here!" – she yelled so loudly that he had jumped away from the bed post, and trying to locate her…

"BONES!"

"Yes, Booth, I am right here, there is no reason to raise your voice…." She told him, scowling at him like he was a child….

"Dinner…" Booth reminded her…

"It's fine, I said OK to Angela didn't I?"

"But…

"Listen, I can understand your reluctance to accept the invitation for dinner, I really do, but please do remember that I am the compartmentalizer here, so I'll compartmentalize… this is not for me, or for you, this dinner is for Angela and the baby's sake, not mine or yours…."

"OK… I agree.. hey Bones… what is a bed doing down here?"

"It's not any bed, Booth it's Cleopatra's bed…"

"The original?"

"Yes! Why would the Jeffersonian have an imitation…"

"Oh! How did you get it?" suddenly he was curious about the bed! Brennan thought

"I argued with three Egyptians misogynist and I won… what is that? Is that a stain…." She hunched toward the very expansive and antiqued bed spread, to actually examine said stain… semen? All of a sudden the intercom system rang, making both Brennan and Booth jump.

"this is Dr. Brennan?" she answered…

"Dr. Brennan the mummy is here!"

"OK, good! I'll be right up! Booth I have to go, was there anything else?

"Ah, no, just wanted to be sure ab…"

"Good" and so she took off, up the stairs, leaving again Booth to contemplate what the hell had happened. Three seconds later he sprang up the stairs towards the exit door: that basement gave him the creeps!

The medical lab looked something out of a fantasy movie. And there it stood the famous platform that Temperance had talked about. Dirk didn't really know what to say. Al on the other hand, had a lot to say, and to see. Upon their arrival, a tall woman, presented herself as Temperance's boss, whose name was Saroyan….He didn't even know that the woman had a boss. And while Al was taken by an enthusiastic entomologist towards the many scientific attraction, Dirk stood next to the precious cargo that he had transported back from Egypt. Looking around he heard a door opening rather forcibly, and Brennan walking quickly towards him.

"Dirk, I Swear if I find a dent on it…."she said circling the precious sarcophagus! It's not like she didn't like the guy, no she didn't really like the guy. He had a tendency of destroying cars, boats, everything on his sight. And no she was not harboring any ill feeling for this man! Not at all! Wary of him was more like it!

"hi to you too!" he said, with a smirk on his face..

"what… oh hi! Happy?" she than continued to examine the pristine condition of the precious cargo.

"Good to see you again…Would you relax, you seem tense…" he tried to joke! Really? The last time he ….let's not think about the last time! Bones thought…

"You always think that I seem tense... everything appears to be in order and…." As she looked up, she saw Hodgins, Angela and Al walking towards her.

"Oh my, Al what happened to your face?" she asked as she just now recognized the extremely looking nasty bruise on the side of his face… walking towards her, with a very curios Hodgins on his tow, he answered her

"Ah, you don't want to know really… " she looked at Dirk and then, again, she hit him!

"Ouch…why are you hitting me!" he asked rubbing the side of his arm.

" are really asking me that? Did you see a doctor?"

"I saw the doctor, everything is fine, it doesn't even hurt…."

"Ok, if you say so… I trust YOU!" she said while looking sideways towards Dirk "Anyway, everything seem to be in order here! It's not exploding, is it?" she asked wary, signing the papers…

" are you going to present us, or are you ashamed?" asked Dirk, feeling a little observed, by the little crowd that had formed around them.

"what, oh ha, this is Dirk Pitt, and next to him he's Al Giordino, Dirk, Al, this is Angela, our forensic artist, and Dr. Saroyan, our chief pathologist…. This is Dr. Hodgins, he is the entomologist…."

"hmm-mmmh" by them stood like a salt statue Booth. Who the heck was this guy? Where did he come from? And how did he know Bones….

"oh… this is Agent Booth… he is the liaison from the FBI" she said not even looking at him. if anything she knew him, she always had sensed his moods as of lately, and she knew that he had a lot of question, questions that she would NOT answer. The faster Dirk got out, the better…

"SPECIAL Agent Booth…. I am former ranger…." Really… was it necessary to point it out…. Wait for it, thought Angela. Testosterone spills on isle 4 part. 2!

"oh look Al, we have a jar-head here… we are also former air force ourselves!" said Dirk, while Al just rolls his eyes… he continued "oh, well now as you may know we recuperate lost treasures, you must have heard of us…"

"ah, what…." Booth was confused, this guy was like Indiana Jones? And how the hell did he know Bones

"well… or destroy them in the process…. But who's counting, by the way how's Lauren…." Asked Brennan, hoping to finish this very uncomfortable conversation

"Actually she's is good, I am finally going home so…."

"Am I stopping you? Al it's always a pleasure, you'll be at the gala right?" she asked, sending him a smile

"Yes, I'll be there…"

"So will I …" answered Dirk…

"So will I" Booth echoed Dirk…. If she thought that galas were the most boring affairs, Angela was sure looking forward to this one. If nothing else she would have a little fun.

"Ah… well" said Brennan, still unaware of the war of glares going on between the two…

"We really must be going, came on Dirk, your WIFE is expecting you… Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!"Brennan echoed Al… three seconds later she had started barking orders to the interns assigned of the week, to start the protocol. In less than five days, everything had to be ready!

Her yell got everyone else out of their reveries, and while Hodgins, and Angela went about their business, Cam stood watching Booth.

"Are you okay?..."

"Ah?"

"You seem a little shocked"

"What no…."

"You didn't think she had a life aside of the Jeffersonian?"

"Well, I … I don't think I know much anymore …" he answered Cam and silently walking away, hands in his pockets and with Max words echoing in his mind ! _… I don't believe for one second, that she's not going to be able to find somebody else, somebody better looking than you, richer, and without the amount of insecurities that us men often bear over money and status. She's a beautiful, smart woman after all._

"Thank you Mr. Vaziri… ah would you call for Cleopatra's bed to be transported" she looked at the clock, it was five past six…. "Never mind, Mr. Vaziri I'll do it myself, all of you should be going, tomorrow is going to be very busy so go home and rest…." She told everybody. Cam had agreed with her. The preparation weighted on Brennan almost solely. So Cam had told the anthropologist to go home herself to rest, but Brennan had responded that she still had to complete paper work, but promised that she would not over work herself into a frenzy. Cam understood more than anybody the burden that paperwork, often revealed to be. But that was the protocol.

So watching Hodgins take his wife home, and cam walking out, she slowly walked into her office, she looked at her desk, sighing, walked around to sit down, when she was hit with a wave of dizziness. Slowly she sat down, trying to remember is she had lunch…she had lunch! Maybe she was tired, yes that was it, she was just tired, after the gala she would rest… nonetheless she picked the phone and called her doctor for an appointment, she was due for a checkup anyway. Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock. That's how soon she had an appointment. She really had to talk with Cam tomorrow morning….

Sitting back, she closed her eyes…. Booth, Hannah… Angela…. Dinner… she could do it she was in fact Dr. Temperance Brennan!

The next morning, Brennan found herself again in her office.

The paperwork that had accumulated on her desk had been taken care of, she took care of her e-mails, and the file regarding the vase and the new mummy had been e-mailed to the administrators office, as well as reports e the balancing receipts… she had finished it all and when she got home, it was almost three o'clock in the morning, a quick shower, some hot milk with honey and off to bed. At six, she was up preparing herself to go to work. At seven another wave of dizziness hit her while waiting in line for her coffee. She arrived at the office fifteen minutes later, and the vertigo feeling still hadn't stopped. After she sat down, it got better. So better than she began to check on her interns progress of their thesis. At eight on the dot, brennan had cornered Cam with her afternoon appointment news. Cam said that she could go, but reminded the anthropologist of the six o'clock meeting with the administrations. Brennan had simply nodded and walked towards her office again. After that the morning went by very slowly, Angela had entered her office concerned about the best friend dr. appointment. Brennan reassured her telling her that it was just a check-up… nothing to worry about. And after pacifying Angela she finally went to lunch. After a light lunch Brennan found herself in her Doctor's office….

"Dr. Temperance Brennan…" the nurse called her

"That's me…" she answered getting up…

"Please follow me, Dr. reed is going to be here in just a few minutes…" the nurse accompanied her into the doctor's office, and then she walked out closing the door behind her

"Thanks " after the nurse exited the office, a small woman entered with a big smile

"Temperance, now that is a surprise weren't due for another month?"

"Well yes, I was, but I seem to be experiencing, waves of dizziness, and I have right now a bit of headache…"

"Really… OK you know what… nothing to worry about! we are going to perform the usual tests, you know blood, urine and such, and see where to go from there OK…." The doctor tried to reassure her…

So here she was Dr. Brennan waiting for her test results an hour later. Her cell phone had rang the incredible number of six times, two from Cam, two from Angela One from Sweets, and one from Booth. Sending a little text message to Angela, she reassured her that she was fine just waiting for her results, and that she would be there in time for the meeting. She had received a very short message indicating "not to worry about anything! that nobody, was either dying or kidnapped". Sometime she had difficult understanding Angela humor… she didn't find either one of those possibility funny…

"Temperance…."

"Meghan…."

"Well, I have you results, the blood work seems ok….the MRI didn't show any abnormalities… everything seems just fine, if not a little thing…."

"What?"

"You blood pressure…"

"What about it…."

"It's a little high, actually is way high, especially for you, you are vegetarian, you don't use much salt, and you are not diabetic…"

" I am sorry, but how high is way high as you said…" Brennan asked…

" It is written here, the nurse repeated the exam…"

" I know I was there…. Meghan?"

"At the last measurement you had 145/90…."

"Oh…." She should've known… Brennan thought.

"I don't see anything from your test today that would indicate a physical cause, although I am recommending more tests on this. You know the drill with high blood pressure…"

"I know… am I at risk of having strokes?"

" Everybody who's is experiencing high blood pressure is, but those people have other indicator that corroborates the risks, such diabetes, you simply don't have them…. Are you particularly stressed out lately…"

"Really? Stress? Maybe a little…."

"Temperance…" Meghan wasn't a mother of four for nothing. And scowling was the best thing she ever learned…

" OK, I am stressed…."

"Well you have to keep that under control, OK?"

"I'll try not to be…

"No I don't mean that, although yes, you have to keep under control your stress level… I want you to monitor your Blood pressure with this machine , very simple, two times a day, alternatively morning, night, before lunch and before dinner and write them down… please… "

"I will…"

"That's not all, I want to see you in two days, I want you to write down your readings, and if it goes to 150 or over I want you to call immediately, is that clear?"

"Ok, thank you…I have to go I have an important meeting…" said Brennan, about to exit the office…

"Remember just tries to relax…"

"I will" the anthropologist than exited hastily the room. High blood pressure. She never suffered anything like this before in her life. She had been stressed yes, but this? Keeping her blood pressure at check? She felt totally out of control. First emotionally, and now fiscally. Her body was rebelling and nothing that she could do would stop it. For once in her life she just wanted something to go according to her desire, but no. if she believed in fate, or any other universal mambo jumbo that Angela and Booth tried over the years to feed her as true fact, than she should have concluded that this was a point of no return. Seize and desist kind of thing. Well she could fight it and fight it, but then again she was tired of fighting, so she went with the flow, or more specifically decided to follow doctor's orders. Try and relax she said? easiest said than done. But as she back out of the parking lot, she realized then maybe years of running and over achievements had finally caught up with her. She turned the radio on:

_slow down you crazy child__  
><em>_You're so ambitious for a juvenile__  
><em>_But then if you're so smart tell me why__  
><em>_Are you still so afraid?__  
><em>_Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?__  
><em>_You better cool it off before you burn it out__  
><em>_You got so much to do and only__  
><em>_So many hours in a day_

_But you know that when the truth is told__  
><em>_That you can get what you want__  
><em>_Or you can just get old__  
><em>_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through__  
><em>_When will you realize...Vienna waits for you_

_Slow down you're doing fine__  
><em>_You can't be everything you want to be__  
><em>_Before your time__  
><em>_Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)__  
><em>_Too bad but it's the life you lead__  
><em>_You're so ahead of yourself__  
><em>_That you forgot what you need__  
><em>_Though you can see when you're wrong__  
><em>_You know you can't always see when you're right(you're right)__You got your passion you got your pride__  
><em>_But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?__  
><em>_Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true__  
><em>_When will you realize__  
><em>_Vienna waits for you_

_Slow down you crazy child__  
><em>_**Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while**__**  
><strong>__**It's alright you can afford to lose a day or two **__**  
><strong>__When will you realize...__  
><em>_Vienna waits for you.__And you know that when the truth is told__  
><em>_That you can get what you want__  
><em>_Or you can just get old__  
><em>_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through_

_Why don't you realize...Vienna waits for you__  
><em>_When will you realize...Vienna waits for you_

_Vienna - Billy Joel  
><em>

"hm, take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while?" she smiled to herself "don't tempt me…"

Upon her arrival at the Jeffersonian she had just time to go, drop the her purse and take her files with her. Usually at those meeting you just sit and listen. But she never really minded them. Now with that Billy Joel song stuck in her head she cannot stop from smiling. And she really felt relaxed right now, like she hadn't been in days.

After the meeting she went back in office: the board had been very pleased with her work, and so, strangely had been Cam, or maybe she just said that, but she didn't really care. Looking at her purse, she saw a glimpse of the offending machine. It's not that she was afraid or anything she…

"Sweetie?" Angela had been standing outside the door observing her best friend…

"Angela, are you OK?"

"Am I ok, you had the doctor's appointment? How was it?£

"Routine, everything is just fine…." No need to worry her, it was just stress, that's all. It would be useless telling anybody about it just yet…

"You sure?"

"Yes I am sure, don't worry…."

"I do worry, especially after…"

"After …."

"You know… Booth" at mention of his name, Brennan felt her heart rate accelerate. Maybe she just found the offending variable that had condemn her for the next two days of frequent checkups of her blood pressure. Trying to find her original composure Brennan calmly answered …

"I know, but really everything is exactly how I expect it to be…"

"You seem relaxed…." Angela commented perplexed….

"I am… so aside from medical enquirers, did you need something…"

"no just curious on what has you in good mood… that's all"

"Well it could be that all the paper work concerning the exhibit has been done, and the meeting went very well… really Angela everything is fine!"

"Ok, I'll let it go for now…."

Once Angela had exited her office, she got up, walked towards the door and closed it. Walking back to her purse she got out the offending machine and proceeded to her first measurement. 90/135. That really was not good. Having written down the value, she then proceeded to put back the again offending machinery, in her purse as well as the measurements sheet. She put her coat on, intending than to go home. As she got out of the office, she happened to look towards the entrance.

Talk about offending things: Hannah was posted there, looking around, while talking with Angela and Cam, and with Booth smilingly discussing something with Hodgins. She knew that if she got out now from the entrance she could not have an easy escape. So, cowardly she knew, she opted to go out the door, that from her private bathroom, opened towards the hallway, effectively avoiding them. She felt like that character, she could not remember the name, but walking slowly and silently she skipped out of the entrance door, without anybody noticing. She was a woman, OK. In better days she would have roared but today she was tired! Didn't have the patience or the will. Tonight she simply was not in the mood for nonsense. As she walked quickly towards the parking lot, she felt a surge of victory.

Looking at her car… the nerve of Booth! He had parked next to her! Damn it.

Well she didn't care. She got in the car, slamming a little bit too hard the door, put it in gear, and angrily got out of the parking spot.

Managing her stress level ? Today she felt as if she already had failed!

* * *

><p>Are you still here reading?<p>

Like it, hate it? should i continue? please drop a review!

madisondanes


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: ARE YOU GUYS STILL THERE? LOL

I am extremely sorry for my lateness. I assure you that I intend on finishing this story. I had a few health issues myself, and I really didn't feel like writing. Not completely out of just yet…but will be soon, I hope! But here I am updating with another chapter. I hope is not boring for you guys. I am not sure about it. It's a little long I am trying to recuperate the rhythm of the story.

I hope you like it!

So…here goes nothing!

* * *

><p>4 days to go the gala<p>

The pink panther! That's the name of the character, that she had been trying to remember, after the disappearing act last night.

She had send a message to Angela explaining that she felt tired from the hard day, (which was not a complete lie) and that she was on her way home planning a quiet evening.

Angela had send a text back telling her that it was ok, and to rest.

And rest she did. She had taken a hot bath, with the notes of Nina Simone's voice in the background, and then she had gone to bed. As soon as her head had hit the pillow she was gone into Morpheus's world.

The next morning, like always she had woken up, taken a shower, got dressed, and then started drinking her coffee.

And she started thinking about yesterday night.

So… she had taken the easy way out, what of it? Was it written somewhere that she had to be always the strong one? Even her body was rebelling to the notion! Yes, because this morning, her blood pressure was still a little too high, for her liking. And she had relaxed dam-nit, but it seemed that the more she willed herself to relax, the more anxious she became.

It was a vicious circle. Would she have to take medication for the rest of her life?! Absolutely not! She totally refused the notion. She never got sick!

And why were Booth and Hannah there? He couldn't be that idiotic, right? Yes, she had excepted Angela 's invitation, knowing very well that they were invited too. And she had prepared for it, but what she hadn't prepared for was the ambush that she witnessed yesterday…

The problem was that if the say "out of sight, out of mind", had worked wonders for Booth's crush on her, it wasn't working wonders on her. He had come and talk to her about dinner and she had almost given up.

Embrace the love and the suffering … and maybe that's what a stronger person would have done, but she didn't feel strong; she felt on the brick of falling and she was holding on every lifeline that was on her sight. even if that lifeline was pride and a escaping Egyptian vase.

If yesterday morning, she had felt confident about her day, today she was anything but. She could feel it in her bones (the irony isn't at all lost on her). This would be a bad day from the get go.

She had arrived at the lab early. Cam still wasn't here, and that meant that none of her team would be in for at least another hour. So she made her way towards the Egyptian room to check on a last minute details.

Box and crates had been organized and attached to them was a numeric code correspondent the content so that when the exhibit would be over the interns and herself wouldn't have trouble finding the rightful box to put that particular object in.

The antique desk in the middle of the room had been neatly organized. Only one offending piece of paper sat in the middle of it.

She looked at it and suddenly remembered the bed. She had forgotten about the bed. Damn Booth!

Ok, now she could feel her pulse raising. She had to sit down before she embarrassed herself passing out. She remembered what Meghan had told her: relax! So she took a deep breath and then two until her pulse did go back to normal.

Then she raised from the chair, she took her the digital key card and made her way outside the Egyptian room, towards the basement. And before pitting the card in the console, she remembered the stain, so she took a beeline towards the platform and took the necessary material to collect a sample. Whoever was responsible was in a lot, lot of trouble.

She went down the stairs rather quickly towards the bed. The hours of work that this original piece had cost her!

She took a sample and then proceeded upstairs: she would be performing the analysis herself!

She had escaped! Angela found herself laughing out loud, about the yesterday night act.

Obviously she and Booth had come to a sort of understanding, but Angela knew better. Not that she actually knew all the details but she could imagine what had transpired. And it was obvious that her best friend wasn't coping as well as she wanted them to believe.

After giving up on Brennan to came out of the office, she and all the group had gone into her office to actually invite her to dinner, but when they had gone in, she was nowhere to be found. And almost five minutes later, Angela received a text from Bren, telling her that she was on her way home, and that she was tired. Cam had pointed out that she couldn't have exited the lab from the entrance, she hadn't seen her...maybe she was just tired herself...but Angela of course knew better!

At dinner conversation was strained at best. Because if the morning after she was kind of laughing about it, the night before Angela felt hormones surging and protesting against this blonde woman who had come into their life changing everything.

Of course this morning she had talked to Jack about it. He had advised her not to say anything, it was NOT her business, and despite the fact that Temperance was her best friend, she was also an adult and didn't need protection from Hannah!

Of course if only has she listened to her husband...

Seely Booth special agent of the FBI, former ranger, was still shocked at the disappearing act that Bones had done the night before. He should have been able to spot her for god sake. He knew that she saw him and Hannah at the main entrance. He almost could feel her...but nowhere to be seen. He was trained for those kinda things...he should know when and where. Maybe he was getting a little too comfortable for his skills, or maybe she had learned things that he couldn't imagine her knowing.

Hannah on the other hand had seemed unfazed by Bones absence...she was conversing, like nothing was wrong.

He was very much aware of Angela's feelings...he didn't nees her to speak them out loud. It was written all over her face. He meant to talk to her about it...he couldn't let Angela ruin this new, albeit weird status quo.

Temperance Brennan, was staring at her pc screen. She couldn't believe what she was reading. Her best friend and hers fornicating husband at used that bed, and in the process damaged a invaluable comforter for a quickie...what the hell did they have offices for?

She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm...reminding herself that Angela was pregnant, and she could not yell at her...but she could, by all means yell at Hodgins...

and she still couldn't believe it! She almost got arrested for bring that damn bed to the States. Damn Egyptian law, and misogynist men. Doctor or not, they were just dumb... and now her best friend...ugh! she took another deep breathe, and suddenly a feeling of nausea had came over her. She was feeling dizzy, and her vision suddenly blurred for a few seconds. She stood up from her chair, refusing to throw up all over her desk. With a hand on her mouth and the other leaning over the various piece of furniture, she had made her way to her private bathroom... and there it was her breakfast.

She went over the sink, splashing ice cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror, and she recognized only a ghost of herself. She had to take that measurement now!

She very slowly made her way towards her desk, she took out the contraception and the shit of paper, that Meghan had given her. 158 over 96..this was not happening! Not now!. she took the phone in her trembling hands, and she called Meghan at home...she explained the situation over the phone as best as she could, in return Meghan told her to stay put, and to hold on, that she would come over to pick her up immediately.

This was not happening…this was not happening. In her lab, where everyone could have walked in! she put her head between her legs, tryng to take deep breaths to slow her pulse rate. But the more she tried, the worse she felt.

She didn't even realize that someone had arrived until Meghan began calling her name. she held up her head and realized that the vertigo feeling had partially gone.

"Temperance? Temperance? Do you hear me" Meghan took out the pen light and proceeded to point it on Brennan's eyes "reflex seems to be normal" she stated. "did you take a measurement?"

" ah…"

"Temperance? Did you take a measurement?"

" yes…" and then proceeded to point her finger to the still visible number on the machine.

"ok, let's get you on the couch!" Meghan helped Temperance stand up, and walk to the couch. "do you still feel dizzy? Nauseous?"

" ah…a little bit of both..now I feel better!"

" ok let's see where you are at now…" she took another measurement " mh, it's going down, you are 133 over 71, a little too high for my taste…"

" a little too high for my taste too!" exclaimed Brennan

" it's normalizing now...what happened?"

"I don't know..I was… I was looking at...Angela had sex on Cleopatra's bed!"

"What?"

"Yes, do you have any idea how much that bed cost me in terms of work?!"

"ok, let's skip over the ew, you are getting upset again and you pulse is rising see? Calm down..." "but…"

"Listen to me, you have to calm down…this is good, now I am pretty sure this is stress...anyway I want to keep an eye on you this morning, you are coming with me!"

"No I can't I have to work…!

" I am sure that they can run this place for a couple of hours by themselves…what could happen?"

" you have no idea, I…"

" Temperance I am not asking you, I am telling you! I have been your doctor for far too long for you to pull that face on me... you are coming with me! Come on"

"but….how do I justify my absence with Cam?"

"leave a message.".

"but the bed! I can't leave now!"

" you ARE living now! Come on!" And with that Temperance returned to her desk, a little wobbly, turned off her pc, and huffed. Following her friend, she stopped at came office and quickly wrote a note on cam's desk, that she would be in the afternoon...the something that she had to take care of had come up...

* * *

><p>When Cam walked into her office that morning she had found the message. Something was going on but she couldn't really pinpoint on what. And it wasn't about Booth either. So, with a sprint on her step, and her high heels clicking on the lab's marble floor, she made her way towards the good doctor's office.<p>

Going over her desk found she found the portable blood pressure measurer and the shit of paper...high blood pressure and Brennan? it meant only one thing. Compartmentalizing was a lot more dangerous this time around for the good doctor...

Looking around and not seeing anybody, she put everything in one of the closable drawer on Brennan's desk. She didn't need for her best friend and any other person to pressure her into talking. She closed the drawer and put the key on her central drawer where other keys had found residence over Brennan stay at the Jeffersonian..

With that she walked out closing the lights and the door.

Back at her desk she send a text message to Brennan not to worry.

* * *

><p>When Angela and Hodgins entered the lab, the first thing they saw was that Brennan was not in yet.<p>

Maybe it was the hormones, but panic took over Angela's mind.

She had gone into cam's office to ask her about it. Cam had said that nothing was wrong and that Brennan was simply running an errand. Of course Angela didn't believe it.

By the time she made it back to her office her hormones had gone crazy! So she started pacing!

When she entered her own office her hormones had officially gone crazy.

"Angie would you calm down? This isn't good for the baby…! Hodgins troed to calm her down but her pacing was making him feel dizzy. Of course he was aware something was going on. He wasn't stupid. However he had every reason to believe that whatever it was, Brennan would be on it. But convincing his wife of this little fact, was a tad more difficult to do.

"she's not here, Jack. She's not running an errand...she usually sends an intern for it..."

"Angie..."

"I tell you, something is wrong!"

"ok..but"

"you know whose fault is it?"

"well"

"Hannah! "

"what…" oh boy here we go, thought Hodgins

"and Booth! The Jerk!" and we are off!

"Angie…"

"how dare he…"

"Angie…"

"take her here in Brennan's lab!"

"it's the Jeffersonian! It's not Brennan's lab…if nothing else for all the money I gave them, it's my, our lab!"

"don't be cute with me, Jack, I am not in the mood for it! You know perfectly well what I mean!"

"...fine...I understand what you mean, but you got to remember that Cam said she would came back this afternoon…"

"fine...I'll talk to her then!" Angela said resolutely.

"Angie, honey, just don't be too harsh, or pressure her. I am aware that dr. B is going through something, but maybe she's not ready to talk about it. And remember she will talk when she is ready to. Everything will be fine, you'll see!" he said giving her a peck on the lips and walking out of his wife's office.

Angela looked at him walking out and went to the phone.

Brennan's home phone had gone the answering machine and so it did her cell.

Her next call, might either give her the most forever loving hug, or get her the first scowling look, for her best friend.

"Ok, everything seems to be fine now...you vitals are good...everything seems to be normal now. Do you still feel dizzy?" asked Meghan while looking at her charts.

"no I am fine now, like nothing ever happened…" said Brennan in wonder. That was stupid she thought.

" I think that 99% is all stress!"

" that's not rational, it never happened to me before!"

" studies have demonstrated that a certain level of stress can cause high blood pressure! I am fairly certain that it's a temporary condition! You are obviously stressed about this gala of yours, and…well everything else! You just have to deal with it, calmly! maybe this time compartmentalizing, is not the way to go!"

"but…"

"I know you! When something upsetting happens, you take it, you rationalize it, and then you buried it! And then you get stressed about it! your body is trying to tell you, that maybe it's time to stop and...smell the roses! Because you are not in the stroke department, but if you continue like this you are going to have an heart attack!"

"all because…"

"stress it's a powerful thing...I know you are busy with the gala, but afterwards, if nothing vital is in for you to work on, go somewhere where there are no bodies, no law enforcement people bothering you, no Angela nagging to know what is going on and just…relax!"

"you think so? that will be sufficient?"

"yeah, continue tough to monitor yourself...you did good in calling me this morning! And if you decide to go somewhere, please let me know, I want to see you again before you go out of town. And if anything else comes up, please do not hesitate to call me"

" ok, I'll do that! Thanks for everything! I don't…"

" see what I mean, you are already warring about it! STOP WORRING! I told you no problem!"

"Very well then! Thanks again…" and with that Brennan exited her doctor's office.

Taking a taxy, outside the office she looked at her cell phone to check if there were any messages. If obnly Meghan could see, she thought, she would send Brennan living on a desert island, doctors order, to relieve the amount of stress that she was sure was going to hit her while listening to these messages!

_dr. brennan it's Cam, listen I found your message...don't worry I'll see you this afternoon...bye_

_BRENNAN where are you? running an errand Cam says...well I don't believe it...we've got to talk_

_CALL ME BACK!_

_BONES where are you Angela says you disappeared... please call me back!_

_BONES I AM GETTING WORRIED CALL ME BACK!_

_IF YOU DON'T CALL ME BACK, I AM GOING TO PUT A DISPACTH OUT... CALL ME!_

_BREN I AM GETTING MORE WORRIED...CALL ME BACK FOR YOUR GODSON PLEASE!_

_Honey, it's dad...now I am trying to stay calm about it, but Booth called, saying you disappeared!_

_Call you poor old daddy back...will ya?_

She rolled her eyes at Angela's messages! She knew that it had to be confusing for her friend! But that was no reason to call Booth, of all people and almost give her father an heart attack!

"HELLO…"

"dad?"

"Temperance? Where were you? everyone was asking if I knew where you were!"

"I didn't feel so well...I went to see the doctor this morning..."

"….what is it?" Max asked with his voice full of worry.

"I am just tired and stressed...after the gala I will probably take some vacation time!"

"Well...then, if it's only stress, good, I say to the vacation!"

"Thanks dad, I got to go now! I am going back to the Jeffersonian I have a meeting with the board..."

"ok, honey..Tempe, please take care of yourself…meaning don't tire yourself out."

" I will not tire myself out, I promise…I have to go dad, bye"

"bye Temperance" and with that she hung up.

One down three to go!

Arrived at the Jeffersonian entrance, Brennan paid the cab driver his fee, and she began walking towards the main entrance of the building. She said hello to the daytime guard, and after signing the entrance log, she walked towards the familiar sliding doors, leading to the lab. She took a deep breath and saw exactly what her interns were doing when she was absent and no case to occupy them ...and it made her proud. The three young anthropologists were around the table trying to discern the WWI soldier identity.

It was for this particular reason that she had chosen to teach.

And with a smile on her face she made her way towards her office. She opened the door and turned on the lights, and looking at her desk she remembered to having left all out on the desk. Looking around she noticed that her machine and the shit of paper were not where she left them. A sense of worry pervaded her. She didn't notice Cam behind her.

"It's in the second drawer..."

"dr. Saroyan? You startled me!"

" I am sorry… when I came in this morning and I saw the lights on, I didn't men to spy…"

"no, that's fine, I assure you that I am able to do my job…I just wasn't feeling very well…"

"well having what you had this morning I can imagine..." she said referring to the number she saw on the still turned on machine.

"it's just stress, nothing to worry about...I just have to learn how to manage...i just…can you keep this to yourself? I don't want to make a big deal out of it…" she said referring most of all to Angela.

"I understand...I'll keep it to myself…"

"thanks... Cam." And with that pathologist got out of her office. It appeared that she had an unlikely ally in keeping all this a secret. At least for now.

2 down. Two to go.

She took another deep breath. As she dialed the familiar number, she knew who the irritant person that caused her, her little endeavor was Booth. She understood, that removing this particular cause of her high blood pressure was not an option, but that didn't mean that she had to take it, or even be graceful about it.

"BOOTH"

" it's me, Booth, and there is no need to yell on the phone, I hear you just fine"

"Bones?"

"Yes…"

"where the hell have you been all morning?"

" I had errands to run…"

"errands? You don't run errands you usually send an intern!"

"well today I did it myself, what of it?"

"Bones you disappeared, without notice…"

"I didn't disappear without notice, I left a message for Cam! Will you quit being so dramatic?"

"dramatic, I am being dramatic?"

"no, now you are just being loud!"said Brennan already tired of this pointless conversation.

"Loud? Bones…"

"listen Booth I have things to take care of before the board meeting, so if I promise you, that next time I'll make sure everyone in the DC area knows where I am going, will you stop calling my dad! As if I am a teenager that needs to be scowled at!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"said Brennan, hanging up her phone. Where the hell does HE comes from, telling her what to do!

Ugh!

She took another deep breath, as she turned on her computer. She stopped a moment, and then she remembered. THE BED!

She started dialing the code number for Angela's office.

Five minutes later her and Hodgins were sitting on the chairs in front of her desk.

"so…"

"sweetie where have you been all morning? We were worried about you!"

I know, and I am sorry, for not having informed you about the errands, but…well it comes at the last minute so to speak…actually I called you here because of this…" she said taking out the folded, dirty, and very expensive comforter, with a stain on it, still visible. Both paled and hurried to explain their reason, but Brennan put a stop to it, not wanting to hear it, and then she practically ordered Hodgins to take care of the cleaning or else!

Both Angela and Hodgins came out of Brennan's office, feeling like kids who had been caught by the principal. They had actually been yelled at! Not that the twelve thousand dollars worth of cleaning didn't add to the humiliation! And they didn't really want to know what "or else" meant! "Next time the broom closet it is! " said Angela in a definitive tone!

After their exit, Brennan returned to her computer with a smirk on her face. She had emails to answer to. Paper to sign, and documents to prepare for the board meeting.

After lunch, the interns of the week, entered her office, telling her that they had identified the remains of the soldier. Brennan had been pleased with that, and told them to go home, and tomorrow they would try to contact the family, if there was any remaining. The interns had been shocked by this new development. They never were a part of that particular phase.

Talking to the family was always difficult. But it was part of their job, thought Brennan and before they learned, the better would be.

Seven pm and the board meeting had gone well. Everyone looked pleased at the progress made. And once the mummy, the escaping Egyptian vase and Cleopatra's bed would be put in place, Brennan knew that the worse, for preparing for this gala, was behind her.

Arriving at her apartment, half an hour later, she noticed the answering machine blinking. Leaving her bag and jacket on the kitchen stool, she pushed the play botton.

"Temperance it's Jane, how is it that I can never find you when I call you. You know you have a cell phone for a reason! Anyway I just read your manuscripts, and oh my god it brought me to tears, you need to call me back immediately!" the machine stopped and with that the shrilling voice of her publisher .

Rolling her eyes at the dramatic message decided to push this phone call to tomorrow...

* * *

><p>3 days to the gala<p>

Morning came and so did her routine. Today she felt better, she felt like herself, finally.

She didn't know what it was about today. But it felt like a good day. Her blood pressure was under the limits. She felt ready to go to work and tackle any task that would undoubtedly present itself.

As she finished her drinking her coffee, her phone rung.

"DR. Brennan…"

"Temperance, I told you to call me back…." came a shrilling voice from the other side of the line.

"Jane, good morning to you too!" said Brennan smirking in her coffee mug.

"Yeah…yeah , good morning, now that I have exhausted the pleasantries, let me say how much I love those three final manuscripts that you sent me!"

"Oh… well"

"I read them all together, my husband thought that I was going crazy! God you really did it honey! This are going to be best sellers for sure…maybe we should…"

"Jane take a deep breath, they are just raw drafts…" said Temperance trying to calm down her publisher….

"I know that is why I want you to work on them now…"

"Now? It seems a little rushed…"

"Yes, butt the editor and I agree the sooner the better…"

"But…"

"And you don't know the best part yet!"

"Which is…"

"You got an appointment with a producer…"

"Producer of what?"

"Movies dear, movies…"

"Why, didn't I say no to them already?" like years ago, thought Temperance.

"This is a different one, and I guarantee that you are going to like what he has to say! And he wants to meet you…"

"Ok, but….

"Well then. I'll organize the trip right away. Maybe you could squeeze…"

"What trip?"

"But to LA of course. As I was saying maybe you could make a vacation out of it, and start working on those drafts…"

"Ah… what?"

"Ok I'll call you back later with the details" and with that she hung up.

Brennan stood in the middle of her kitchen dumbfounded. How could a person have so much energy in the morning was beyond her. Vacation? She shook her head, while a smile crept on her face. Maybe this was a good day indeed.

Those manuscripts. 3 books. She had written the plot in the three days after the "incident".

Three days, where the only things she did, was cry, sleep, and write. Yes she had cried, and she had cried some more. She would write, and the go to sleep, and start all over again when she would wake up. After those three days, she had worried that the sudden inspiration would dissipate, instead it grew at the point where she felt a physical need to write. It was weird. She never felt that way before. And she had continued, until she had the perfect setting for the end of her series.

Looking back she could not believe how easy, but exhausting had been.

And now here she was, her publisher was in ecstasy. And she felt good!

She put away her mug and plate, and she headed out the door, to work, with a new sprint.

* * *

><p>"Who are these people? "asked Hodgins looking expectantly to his wife. Three people were seated in Brennan's office. Two men and a woman. One man and the woman were seated on the couch, while the other men, was seated on one of the two chair.<p>

"How should I know?" Answered Angela

"You are her best friend remember?" He reminded her, with a teasing smile

"Cam?" The two looked towards her boss, in hope she had an answer

"I don't know. They came in and asked where Temperance office was, and that they were her friends! Security cleared them!" said Cam, While she shrugging her shoulders

"Friends from where? We are her friends!" Booth stated

"Booth shouldn't you be at the headquarters, putting a dent on that paperwork of yours?" Cam asked him.

"I need to talk to Bones, ok!" Booth protested.

"They don't look like criminals…" said Angela.

"Who doesn't look like a criminal?" asked Brennan, who had been observing the little comedic scene that had been presenting itself to her, upon entering the lab. At her voice the four friends jumped.

"Goodness Dr. Brennan, you startled us…." Said Cam, with hand on her chest.

"Well I didn't mean to! What is going on?" she asked. There were four adult people peeping behind the corner across from her office. She was curious. Then she looked around and noticed HIM. "Booth what are you doing here, I thought you had paperwork? And… oh my…" and with that Brennan sprinted towards her office.

* * *

><p>Like it? Hate it?<p>

Drop a review!

Pretty please?

madisondanes


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